NASA's Capstone lunar mission will launch later this month

NASA is set to launch its'CAPSTONE' spacecraft mission later this month to orbit around the moon, in preparation for a new lunar space station. The craft, which is around the size of a microwave oven and weighs just 55 pounds, will blast off from the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand some time between June 13-22. It will test the stability of a halo-shaped orbit around the moon before this is used by Lunar Gateway, NASA's planned lunar outpost. Lunar Gateway will one day serve as a'staging area' for landing humans on the moon and potentially as a jumping point for missions to Mars. Pictured is an artist's impression of CAPSTONE in orbit around the moon with the Earth in the background.